Bushfire survival plans

Leaving your home early is always the safest option.

Know your area and the main exit roads.

Make sure you know where you'll go, what you're bringing and know several routes to get there.

Bushfire relocation kit

If you need to leave your property, you and your family should be prepared to pack the following:

• protective and spare clothing for the whole family
• battery-operated radio and spare batteries
• safety goggles
• medications
• your purse or wallet and cash
• ID (such as driver licence, passport or birth certificate)
• bottled water
• food
• woollen blankets
• a list of contact numbers for your family, friends, doctor, local hospital, vet, councils, and utility providers
• first-aid kit
• food and water
• bedding for your pet, if needed.

If you plan to stay and defend your property, make sure your home is well prepared.

This includes all of the following measures:

• reducing fuels
• removing trees from around buildings
• installing firebreaks.

A well-prepared home has a better chance of surviving a bushfire, even if you decide to leave early.

You should also put together a bushfire survival kit.

Keep children, the elderly and individuals with special needs or disabilities away from the danger.

Prepare equipment and resources

If you're confident that you're capable and prepared to actively defend your property, you should have the below as a minimum:

• firefighting pump, hose and nozzle and access to a water supply
• ladder for access to roof gutters and into the roof space
• garden hose and fittings
• rake and a strong bucket
• wet mop for putting out embers and small fires
• generator to operate the bore.

Prepare yourself  physically and mentally

Defending your home is hard work and requires significant resources.

You also need to think about the physical and emotional effects a bushfire will have on you and your family.

Physical preparation

You need to be physically capable to defend your family and home during a bushfire.

Know and practice your bushfire survival plan so that you and your family can follow it, even when under stress.

You should also check if you can:

• lift items such as hoses and knapsack sprayers
• get up into the roof space to check for embers
• patrol in and around your house long periods.

If you have concerns after you have made your assessment, consider whether you should modify your bushfire survival plan.

If you're not confident in your physical abilities, it can affect how well you handle both the physical and emotional challenges of a bushfire.

Mental and emotional preparation

Getting yourself mentally and emotionally ready to deal with a bushfire is as important as preparing your home and the area around it.

If you have been affected and need emotional support, read about mental health after bushfires on the NT Government website.